Sofia's eyes narrowed as she commed Aiden. "I'm headed back to the base with the recruit. Everything's clear on my end for now," she reported, her voice steady despite the tension in her muscles. She and Alex moved swiftly through the desolate streets, the ruins of the old world surrounding them. Alex, still processing everything that had happened, followed closely behind her, his eyes darting around in nervous anticipation.
As they approached the base, Sofia couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Her instincts, honed by years of survival, nagged at her, but she pushed the thoughts aside. They were almost home, and that was all that mattered right now.
Back at the base, Jake's voice crackled through Sofia's comm. "Sofia, heads up. The base defense system picked up another signal nearby. Someone's following you."
Sofia's heart skipped a beat. "Damn," she muttered under her breath. "That could mess things up. If they get back to the leader..."
Before she could spiral into worry, Aiden's calm voice came through the comm. "Don't worry about it, Sofia. Just get to the base first. We'll deal with the rest after."
Taking a deep breath, Sofia nodded to herself and quickened her pace. Within minutes, they arrived at the hidden entrance of the base. The heavy steel doors slid open, and they were greeted by the familiar hum of machinery and the faint chatter of the team inside. Alex looked around, visibly impressed by the level of technology and security in the base.
Inside, Elara waited for them. Her sharp eyes assessed Alex immediately, and without a word, she motioned for him to follow her. Sofia gave him an encouraging nod before turning to head towards the meeting room.
Elara led Alex to a small, sterile room where she began to update the database with his information. Her questions were precise, probing, as she needed to gather as much detail as possible.
"Name?" Elara asked, her fingers poised over the keyboard.
"Alex," he replied, shifting uncomfortably in the chair. "Just Alex."
Elara raised an eyebrow but didn't push further. "Age?"
"Twenty-three."
As the questioning continued, Aiden entered the room, a small bracelet in his hand. Alex eyed it warily.
"This bracelet," Aiden began, holding it out, "is for your protection and ours. It ensures that no one under its influence will betray us. Once you put it on, it stays on until I decide otherwise. Do you understand?"
Alex hesitated but eventually nodded. "I understand."
"Good. Now, I need you to answer a few questions." Aiden's tone was firm but not unkind, his eyes locked onto Alex's as he spoke.
"Why did you stay at that base, knowing how poorly they treated you?" Aiden asked, watching Alex closely for his response.
Alex took a deep breath. "It was the only place I could find food and some form of safety. It wasn't much, but at least I could help others—share what little I had with those who needed it more."
Aiden nodded, his expression unreadable. "What do you think of the people who ran that base?"
"They're cruel," Alex replied without hesitation. "They see people like me as expendable. But I never let that turn me bitter. I kept helping where I could, even if it wasn't much."
Aiden leaned back, considering Alex's words. "And if you were given the chance to fight against them, to take back control, would you?"
Alex looked up, determination in his eyes. "Absolutely. I'm not a fighter, but I've seen enough to know that people like them shouldn't be in charge. They abuse their power, and they need to be stopped."
Aiden studied him for a moment longer, then gave a small nod of approval. "You'll do," he said, turning towards the door. "Come on, we've got a lot to discuss."
The two of them left the interrogation room and made their way to the meeting room, where the rest of the team was already gathered. The atmosphere was tense, everyone aware that the situation had just taken a serious turn.
As soon as Aiden and Alex entered, Jake spoke up, munching on a handful of chips. "So, what's the plan? We know someone followed you, Sofia. We can assume they've reported back by now."
Sofia crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. "We have two choices: we either prepare for an attack and fortify our defenses, or we go on the offensive and take the fight to them."
Olivia chimed in, her tone sharp. "If they know about our base, they'll be coming sooner or later. We can't just sit here and wait for them to attack. We need to strike first."
Jake nodded in agreement. "I'm with Olivia on this one. We can't risk them finding out more about us. A preemptive strike could catch them off guard."
Elara, ever the strategist, leaned forward. "But we also need to be careful. If we go in guns blazing, we might lose the element of surprise. We should gather more intel first—find out their numbers, their strengths, and any potential weaknesses."
Aiden listened to his team's input, weighing their words carefully. "You all make good points. But time is not on our side. If we wait too long, they'll strengthen their defenses and possibly call for reinforcements. We need to act quickly and decisively."
He looked around the room, meeting each of their gazes. "We'll prepare for both options. Jake, start reinforcing our defenses. Olivia, Sofia, gather intel on their base. I want to know their layout, their numbers, and any weaknesses we can exploit. Elara, coordinate with Jake and make sure we're ready for anything. Alex," he turned to the newcomer, "you'll be helping with whatever they need. Prove yourself."
The team nodded, each member already thinking ahead to their assigned tasks. Aiden could feel the tension in the room easing slightly as they slipped into their roles. They were a well-oiled machine, and this new threat would only strengthen their resolve.
"Let's move," Aiden ordered, and the team dispersed, ready to face the challenge ahead.